1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general art of supports, and to the particular field of supports used in the building industry.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Ductwork is often used in buildings to transfer air, conduits and the like. This ductwork is often shipped in long sections that exceed the length of a worker's reach. Often, these long sections of ductwork must be mounted in difficult to reach areas, including overhead ceilings and the like. Handling such long sections of ductwork may be cumbersome and difficult, especially for one worker.
Therefore, installation of ductwork often requires more than one worker. One worker supports the ductwork while the other worker mounts the ductwork in place. This can be a time consuming job and since more than one worker is involved, the job may become expensive. Often, it is not practical for two or more workers to devote time to installing ductwork. This may require delaying the installation of ductwork until a plurality of workers are available. This may have adverse effects on a building schedule. Also, a self-employed worker may have to hire extra help, which he may not otherwise need, to install ductwork. This may not be cost-effective.
Therefore, there is a need for a means which can be used to support ductwork so one worker can install long sections of ductwork without requiring the assistance of other workers.
Many buildings have varying dimensions adjacent to the ductwork locations. Accordingly, any device which is used in connection with ductwork must be easily adaptable to various dimensions.
Therefore, there is a need for a means which can be used to support ductwork so one worker can install long sections of ductwork without requiring the assistance of other workers and which is easily and quickly adjustable.
Furthermore, since space is often at a premium, and time is valuable, any tool or device used in the installation of ductwork should be easily stored and amenable to being placed in a condition for storage, yet which will be easy and quick to deploy into a use configuration.
Therefore, there is a need for a means which can be used to support ductwork so one worker can install long sections of ductwork without requiring the assistance of other workers and which is easy and quick to deploy into a use and/or a stored configuration.
Therefore, there is a need for a means which can be used to support ductwork so one worker can install long sections of ductwork without requiring the assistance of other workers and which provides the worker with an option of supporting the device using fasteners or clamps.